Galway calls for yearly accountability in ambitious new housing strategy – ‘Targets create certainty and certainty creates homes’
The new housing strategy published last week spurred a Galway City Councillor to suggest annual target reviews to ensure housing promises are fulfilled in clarity.
Galway City West Councillor Clodagh Higgins will be putting forward a motion at the December plenary meeting to garner support from elected members as the Government begins a lofty journey to secure 300,000 homes nationally through 2030.
While the Fine Gael councillor welcomes the new housing initiative, she has identified the grey area that would threaten the delivery of more homes if the strategy were not held accountable by annual reviews.
"Ambition is welcome, but accountability is essential. Galway families deserve to know how many homes will be delivered locally in 2025, 2026 and 2027, not just by 2030,” she said.
The motion suggests writing to the housing, local government, and heritage minister requesting three specific orders to establish some “certainty” for housing delivery in Galway City.
Cllr Higgins will request an annual publication of all housing data in the city including social, affordable, cost-rental, and private tenures. Additionally, she will call for the “immediate prioritisation” of lots in Galway City for the Housing Infrastructure Fund which will increase the opportunity for housing development by boosting infrastructure.
In addition, her motion calls for a department‑led housing roadshow, urging the Housing department “get out of Dublin” and into every local authority to show progress on the ground.
“Delivery can only happen when national policy meets local reality,” she said, adding that a roadshow would allow for round table discussions on progress against targets.
Cllr Higgins stressed that annual targets are not just about accountability but about ensuring a functioning pipeline.
“Without clear annual targets, local authorities, developers and approved housing bodies cannot plan ahead, cannot sequence infrastructure and cannot secure the funding they need. Targets create certainty and certainty creates homes.”
She warned that without proactive planning, the strategy risks running into bottlenecks.